Despite violent crime in DC recently dropping to a 30-year low, President Donald Trump announced Monday morning that he was placing the DC police force under federal control.
Among other questions about implementation and logistics, the move brings uncertainty to the many tech-related contracts the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) maintains or partners on with other agencies.
The president termed his takeover as “liberation day for DC” and invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. He cited crime and homelessness as reasons for the action, claiming the move would “take our capital back.”
Homicides in the district dropped 32% last year, according to the US Attorney’s Office for DC, while armed carjackings were down 53% and robberies declined 39%. In 2024, MPD recorded the fewest assaults with a dangerous weapon in more than three decades.
Yet 800 National Guard troops will also be deployed, Trump said, adding that the military may be brought in “if it’s needed.”
All requests for police services will go through US Attorney General Pam Bondi, per an accompanying executive order filed by Trump and noted by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser in a Monday afternoon press conference. Bowser also described the move as “unprecedented.”
Bowser was not aware MPD would be taken over by the feds in a “so-called emergency,” she said at the briefing. The mayor did have a “brief phone call” related to the National Guard deployment over the weekend.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith is meeting with federal officials Monday afternoon to create an “operational plan … that will continue to keep our city safe,” she said at the conference.
How MPD already uses private tech
MPD launched a drone program last June, which it claims to use for finding missing persons and “crowd management.” MPD also works with the DC Highway Safety Office and the DC Department of Transportation in deploying “smart signs” that sense when drivers use their phones or drive without a seatbelt.
MPD Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist Tom Lynch told Technical.ly that neither of these contracts were “impacted at this time.”
According to public records regarding MPD contracts, the police force has active deals with companies like Cellebrite, whose AI software it uses for digital investigations. The agreement is set to expire in December 2025 and is valued at $925,000.
How long the takeover could last
The Home Rule Act states the president can only take emergency control of the police department for 48 hours, though he can extend the control for up to 30 days if Congress is notified in writing. That can be extended if the Senate and House of Representatives enact a joint resolution, per the act.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
